St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church

Building in New York City, United States

Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Photographed in 2009

General information
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
Town or city	Manhattan, New York City
Country	United States
Completed	1918^[1]
Client	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
Technical details
Structural system	Masonry brick with terracotta trim
Design and construction
Architect(s)	?
Website
St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church, Manhattan

The Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary was a Roman Catholic parish church in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at 211 East 83rd Street, between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. St. Elizabeth's was founded by Slovakian immigrants on the Lower East Side in 1891, and the Upper East Side building was completed in 1918. The Archdiocese of New York issued a decree to close the church on June 30, 2017. Robert Saffayeh Development bought the site and began developing it in 2024.

History

St. Elizabeth's was founded by Slovakian immigrants on the Lower East Side, with the first Mass celebrated on April 26, 1891, in the basement of St. Bridget's Church on 8th Street and Avenue B.^[2]^[3] The first church building was located 345 East 4th Street, which hosted its first Mass on August 7, 1892. A special feature of The New York Times in 1901, mentioned the church, listed as "the Hungarian church," among other Catholic structures in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, describing the group "for the most part...limit[ing] themselves to the functions of a parish church, in districts where social needs are otherwise supplied." Without comment on other facilities attached.^[4]

As parishioners relocated, it became necessary to move the parish. The former Second Emmanuel Lutheran Church church on East 83rd Street, built in 1892, became the new home for St. Elizabeth's on June 7, 1917.^[2] It underwent several expansions in the following decades.^[2]

As the local Slovak population declined later in the 20th century, Cardinal Cooke redesignated it as a church for the deaf Catholics of New York on July 1, 1980.^[2]

In November 2014, the Archdiocese announced that the Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary was one of 31 neighborhood parishes which would be merged into other parishes.^[5] St. Elizabeth of Hungary and St. Stephen of Hungary were to be merged into the Church of St. Monica at 413 East 79th Street.^[6]^[7]

The Archdiocese of New York issued a decree to close the church on June 30, 2017.^[8] This decision, along with the earlier decision to merge, was appealed to the Vatican by parishioners.^[9] Demolition of this church started on May 28, 2024. The land was purchased for $11.8M from the Diocese by Robert Saffayeh Development. The church had earlier been considered for, but did not receive, landmark status from the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.^[10]

Building

The AIA Guide to NYC (Fifth Edition, 2010), neglects to mention an architect, describing the Gothic Revival church as "a classy, spired neo-Gothic exterior, but the treat is within: ascent the stairs to view a just heavenly groin-vaulted ceiling painted in the colors of Ravenna's mosaics."^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot; Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City. American Institute of Architects New York Chapter (Fifth ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 478. ISBN 978-0-19-538386-7.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Our History", StElizabethofHungaryNYC.org, retrieved February 7, 2011
^ Remigius Lafort, S.T.D., Censor, The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X. Volume 3: The Province of Baltimore and the Province of New York, Section 1: Comprising the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn, Buffalo and Ogdensburg Together with some Supplementary Articles on Religious Communities of Women.. (New York City: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914), p.325.
^ "Centres of Civilization; On the Lower East Side of New York", The New York Times, Jul 21, 1901. Excerpt: “Everybody who read it must have been struck by a remark of Mr. Hewitt's, made not very long ago, touching the tenement house district, which was considerably commented on in the press. The remark was that it was not only the part of humanity and charity for the more favored to assist the less favored, but that in this particular case, it was not less the part of prudence…..St. Nicholas in Second Street, St. Rose of Lima in Cannon Street, and St. Teresa in Henry Street. There is also a remarkable church, remarkable for the ...””
^ Otterman, Sharon. "Tears and Heartache for New York’s Catholics as Cardinal Shuts Churches" The New York Times (November 2, 2014)
^ "List of Merging Churches and Those That Will Cease Regular Services" The New York Times (November 2, 2014)
^ Mishkin, Mike (2024-04-24). "Developer Purchases East 83rd Street Church". East Side Feed. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^ Dolan, Timothy Michael (June 30, 2017) "Decree on the Relegation of the Church of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary in the Parish of Saint Monica-Saint Elizabeth of Hungary-Saint Stephen of Hungary, New York" Office of the Cardinal, Archdiocese of New York
^ Feuerherd, Peter (September 23, 2015). "Opponents challenge parish closings, mergers in NY archdiocese". National Catholic Reporter.
^ Zimmer, Amy (July 26, 2017). "A Dozen Church Properties Deconsecrated by Archdiocese for Potential Sale". DNAinfo. Archived from the original on 2017-08-22.

External links

Church of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary official site

Upper East Side (including Carnegie Hill, Lenox Hill, and Yorkville)

Manhattan, New York City

Buildings

59th–72nd Sts	19 East 64th Street 36 East 72nd Street 131 East 66th Street 520 Park Avenue 535 Park Avenue 550 Park Avenue 620 Park Avenue 625 Park Avenue 655 Park Avenue 720 Park Avenue 730 Park Avenue 737 Park Avenue 740 Park Avenue 810 Fifth Avenue 820 Fifth Avenue 825 Fifth Avenue 834 Fifth Avenue 880 Fifth Avenue 907 Fifth Avenue Arthur Curtiss James House Barbizon 63 Edward J. Berwind House Gertrude Rhinelander Waldo House Harold Pratt House Henry Clay Frick House Herbert N. Straus House Imperial House Manhattan House Marshall Orme Wilson House Millan House Park Avenue Armory Park Avenue Houses Henry P. Davison House Oliver D. Filley House Percy R. Pyne House William Sloane House Park Cinq The Pierre Rowhouses at 322–344 East 69th Street Sara Delano Roosevelt Memorial House Trump Palace Condominiums Trump Park Avenue Trump Plaza United States Post Office
72nd–86th Sts	10 Gracie Square 903 Park Avenue 927 Fifth Avenue 930 Fifth Avenue 960 Fifth Avenue 970 Park Avenue 980 Madison Avenue 995 Fifth Avenue 998 Fifth Avenue 1000 Park Avenue 1020 Fifth Avenue 1040 Fifth Avenue 1049 Fifth Avenue Belaire Apartments Benjamin N. Duke House Casa 74 The Charles Cherokee Apartments Clarence Whitman Mansion Consulate General of France, New York City East 73rd Street Historic District East 80th Street Houses Edward S. Harkness House The Forum at 343 East 74th Street Harry F. Sinclair House Henry T. Sloane House Houses at 157–165 East 78th Street Houses at 208–218 East 78th Street James B. Duke House Joseph Pulitzer House Lewis G. Morris House Nathaniel L. McCready House Oliver Gould Jennings House Payne Whitney House Raymond C. and Mildred Kramer House Stuyvesant Fish House William Starr Miller House Yorkville Bank Building
86th–96th Sts	Andrew Carnegie Mansion Carnegie Hill Tower Edith Fabbri House Felix M. Warburg House George F. Baker Jr. Houses Gracie Mansion Holmes Towers Isaacs Houses James A. Burden House John Henry Hammond House Lucy Drexel Dahlgren House Mrs. Graham Fair Vanderbilt House Municipal Asphalt Plant Ogden Codman House Otto H. Kahn House Willard D. Straight House William Goadby Loew House Yorkville Bank Building
Former	C. Ledyard Blair House Elbridge T. Gerry Mansion George Blumenthal House George J. Gould House Henry Phipps House Hotel New Netherland Isaac Stern House James Speyer House Jay Gould House Lenox Library Mrs. William B. Astor House Ogden Mills House William A. Clark House William C. Whitney House William Salomon House William Ziegler House

Culture

Shops, restaurants	A La Vieille Russie Albertine Books Bemelmans Bar Brasserie Julien Café Boulud Caravaggio Carlyle Restaurant Daniel Dorrian's Red Hand Restaurant Galerie Chalette J.G. Melon King's Carriage House La Goulue Lusardi's Kappo Masa Restaurant Orwashers Bakery Sasabune Serendipity 3 Sushi of Gari Sushi Noz Sushi Seki Le Veau d'Or
Museums	Bernard Museum of Judaica Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Frick Collection Jewish Museum Metropolitan Museum of Art The Met Fifth Avenue Mount Vernon Hotel Museum Neue Galerie New York Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Theaters/performing arts	59E59 Theaters Bohemian National Hall East 74th Street Theater
Galleries	Acquavella Galleries Anita Shapolsky Gallery Di Donna Galleries Doyle New York Florian Papp Gagosian Gallery Jane Kahan Gallery Katharina Rich Perlow Gallery Kraushaar Galleries Venus Over Manhattan
Hotels	Bentley Hotel Carlyle Hotel Lowell Hotel The Mark Hotel Hotel Plaza Athénée
Social clubs	92nd Street Y Cosmopolitan Club Harmonie Club Knickerbocker Club Lotos Club Metropolitan Club
Former	Bodley Gallery Brasserie Julien Buck House NYC Cachaça The Colony Dangerfield's Elaine's Etats-Unis Magic Towne House Maxwell's Plum Met Breuer Quo Vadis Salon 94 The Sign of the Dove Stable Gallery

Green spaces/recreation
Carl Schurz Park Central Park John Jay Park

Education

Libraries	Frick Art Reference Library Frick Art Reference Library Photoarchive New York Society Library Robert Goldwater Library Thomas J. Watson Library Yorkville Library
Primary and secondary	Allen-Stevenson School Brearley School Birch Wathen Lenox School Buckley School Caedmon School* Chapin School Dalton School Eleanor Roosevelt High School Hewitt School Hunter College Elementary School Hunter College High School Julia Richman Education Complex Talent Unlimited High School Urban Academy Laboratory High School La Scuola d'Italia Guglielmo Marconi Loyola School Lycée Français de New York Marymount School of New York Nightingale-Bamford School PS 6 PS 158 Ramaz School Regis High School St. Jean Baptiste High School St. Vincent Ferrer High School Sephardic Academy of Manhattan Spence School The Town School Trevor Day School
Post-secondary	Hunter College Assembly Hall Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College Institute for the Study of the Ancient World Marymount Manhattan College New York School of Interior Design Rockefeller University Nurses Residence Welch Hall
Other institutions	Cornell School of Nursing Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance National Academy of Design

Religion

Churches, chapels	Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Brick Presbyterian Church Central Presbyterian Church Christ Church United Methodist Church of the Epiphany Church of the Heavenly Rest Church of Our Lady of Peace Church of St. Ignatius Loyola Church of St. Vincent Ferrer Holy Trinity Church, St. Christopher House and Parsonage Jan Hus Presbyterian Church Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church Our Lady of Good Counsel Church Park Avenue Christian Church St. Catherine of Siena Church St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church St. James' Episcopal Church St. Jean Baptiste Roman Catholic Church St. Joseph Church St. Mary Church St. Monica Church St. Stephen of Hungary Church St. Thomas More Church Unitarian Church of All Souls Zion-St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Synagogues	Altneu Congregation Emanu-El of New York Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun Congregation Or Zarua Edmond J. Safra Synagogue Fifth Avenue Synagogue Park Avenue Synagogue Park East Synagogue Temple Beth-El Temple Israel of the City of New York Temple Shaaray Tefila
Other	New York Zendo Shobo-Ji

Health

Defunct	James Ewing Hospital Madison Avenue Hospital Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic Trafalgar Hospital

Transportation

Subway stations	Fifth Avenue/59th Street Lexington Avenue/59th Street Lexington Avenue/63rd Street Lexington Avenue/68th Street Lexington Avenue/77th Street Lexington Avenue/86th Street Lexington Avenue/96th Street Second Avenue/72nd Street Second Avenue/86th Street Second Avenue/96th Street
Streets	66th Street 72nd Street 74th Street 79th Street 85th Street 86th Street 89th Street 93rd Street 95th Street 96th Street FDR Drive East End Avenue York Avenue First Avenue Second Avenue Third Avenue Lexington Avenue Park Avenue Madison Avenue Fifth Avenue

Other
107th Infantry Memorial Richard Morris Hunt Memorial

Related topics
East 73rd Street Historic District Hardenbergh/Rhinelander Historic District Treadwell Farm Historic District Upper East Side Historic District

See also: Manhattan Community Board 8

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York

v t e Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of New York
Bishops of New York	R. Luke Concanen John Connolly John Dubois John Joseph Hughes
Archbishops of New York	John Joseph Hughes John Cardinal McCloskey Michael Augustine Corrigan John Murphy Cardinal Farley Patrick Joseph Cardinal Hayes Francis Joseph Cardinal Spellman Terence James Cardinal Cooke John Joseph Cardinal O'Connor Edward Michael Cardinal Egan Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan
Auxiliary bishops, current	Peter John Byrne Gerardo Joseph Colacicco Edmund James Whalen John Samuel Bonnici Joseph Armando Espaillat
Auxiliary bishops, emeritus	Josu Iriondo John Joseph Jenik Dominick John Lagonegro James Francis McCarthy John Joseph O'Hara Gerald Thomas Walsh
Auxiliary bishops, former, currently living	Henry J. Mansell Theodore McCarrick Timothy A. McDonnell Edwin Frederick O'Brien Dennis Joseph Sullivan
Auxiliary bishops, former, deceased	Patrick Vincent Ahern Edwin Broderick Thomas Cusack Edward Vincent Dargin Joseph Patrick Donahue John Joseph Dunn John Michael Fearns Joseph Francis Flannelly Francisco Garmendia William Jerome McCormack James Griffiths George Henry Guilfoyle Edward Dennis Head Walter P. Kellenberg John Joseph Maguire James Patrick Mahoney William Jerome McCormack James Francis McIntyre Anthony Francis Mestice Emerson John Moore Joseph Thomas O'Keefe Joseph Maria Pernicone Fulton J. Sheen Patrick Joseph Thomas Sheridan Austin Bernard Vaughan Robert Anthony Brucato
Bishops who served as priests in the archdiocese, living	Charles Daniel Balvo Charles John Brown William Muhm
Bishops who served as priests in the archdiocese, deceased	St. John Nepomucene Neumann Patrick Aloysius O'Boyle Charles H. Colton John J. Conroy Philip Joseph Furlong Charles Edward McDonnell Francis Patrick McFarland Francis McNeirny Bernard John Joseph McQuaid Rrok Kola Mirdita John Joseph Mitty Joseph Thomas Dimino William Quarter Francis Frederick Reh Joseph Francis Rummel William Scully
Catholicism portal

v t e Churches in the Archdiocese of New York
Archdiocese	Cathedral St. Patrick's Cathedral, Manhattan Former cathedral Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral
New York City	Bronx Blessed Sacrament Church Church of the Sacred Heart Christ the King's Church Holy Cross Church Immaculate Conception Church Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Our Lady of Mercy's Church Our Lady of Mount Carmel's Church Our Lady of the Nativity of Our Blessed Lady's Church Our Lady of Solace's Church St. Angela Merici's Church St. Anselm's Church St. Ann's Church St. Anthony's Church St. Anthony of Padua Church St. Athanasius's Church St. Augustine's Church St. Barnabas' Church St. Brendan's Church St. Clare of Assisi's Church St. Dominic's Church St. Frances de Chantal's Church St. Frances of Rome's Church St. Francis Xavier's Church St. Gabriel's Roman Catholic Church St. Helena's Church St. Jerome's Church St. Joan of Arc's Church St. John's Church St. John Chrysostom's Church St. Joseph's Church St. Lucy's Church St. Luke's Church St. Margaret Mary's Church St. Margaret of Cortona's Church St. Martin of Tours' Church St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church St. Pius V's Church St. Raymond's Church Church of St. Simon Stock St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus Church SS. Peter and Paul's Church Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Manhattan All Saints Church Church of the Annunciation Chapel of the Resurrection Church of Notre Dame Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church of Our Lady of Sorrows Church of Our Lady of the Scapular–St. Stephen Church of Sts. Cyril & Methodius and St. Raphael Church of St. Catherine of Genoa Church of St. Ignatius Loyola Church of St. Joseph Church of St. Michael Church of St. Vincent Ferrer Church of the Ascension, Roman Catholic Church of the Blessed Sacrament Church of the Epiphany Church of the Good Shepherd Church of the Holy Agony Church of the Holy Family Church of the Incarnation, Roman Catholic Church of the Most Precious Blood Church of the Nativity Chapel of the Resurrection Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church of the Transfiguration, Roman Catholic Corpus Christi Church Holy Cross Church Holy Innocents Church Holy Name of Jesus Roman Catholic Church Holy Rosary Church Holy Trinity Church Immaculate Conception Church Our Lady of Esperanza Church Our Lady of Good Counsel Church Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Bernard Church Our Lady of Lourdes Church Our Lady of the Holy Rosary's Church Our Lady of Pompeii Church Our Lady of Victory Church Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church Our Saviour Church San Lorenzo Ruiz Chapel St. Agnes Church St. Aloysius Catholic Church St. Andrew Church St. Ann Church St. Anthony of Padua Church St. Benedict the Moor Church St. Catherine of Siena Church St. Cecilia Church and Convent St. Charles Borromeo Church St. Elizabeth Church St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church St. Emeric Church St. Francis of Assisi Church St. Francis Xavier Church St. Gregory the Great Church St. Jean Baptiste Roman Catholic Church St. John the Baptist Church St. John the Evangelist Church St. Joseph of the Holy Family Church St. Joseph Chapel St. Jude Church St. Lucy Church St. Malachy Roman Catholic Church St. Mark the Evangelist Church St. Mary Church St. Monica Church St. Patrick's Old Cathedral St. Paul Church St. Paul the Apostle Church St. Peter's Church St. Rose of Lima Church St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Church St. Stephen of Hungary Church St. Teresa Church St. Thomas More Church St. Veronica Church Slovenian Church of St. Cyril Staten Island Church of Our Lady Help of Christians Church of Our Lady of Pity Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea Church of the Blessed Sacrament Church of the Holy Family Our Lady of Good Counsel's Church Sacred Heart Church St. Adalbert's Church St. Charles's Church St. Clare's Church St. Mary's Church St. Patrick's Church St. Peter's Church St. Rita's Church St. Roch's Church St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus's Church
Dutchess County	Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Church (LaGrangeville) Church of Regina Coeli (Hyde Park) Church of St. Martin de Porres (Poughkeepsie) Church of St. Mary, Mother of the Church (Fishkill) St. Mary's Church (Poughkeepsie) St. Mary's Church (Wappingers Falls) Church of the Good Shepherd (Rhinebeck) Immaculate Conception Church (Amenia) Immaculate Conception Church (Bangall) Our Lady of Mount Carmel's Church (Poughkeepsie) St. Anthony's Church (Pine Plains) St. Charles Borromeo's Church (Dover Plains) St. Christopher's Church (Red Hook) St. Columba's Church (Hopewell Junction) St. Denis Church (Hopewell Junction) St. Joachim and St. John the Evangelist's Church (Beacon) St. John the Evangelist's Church (Pawling) St. Joseph's Chapel (Rhinecliff) St. Joseph's Church (Millbrook) St. Patrick's Chapel (Millerton) St. Paul's Chapel (Staatsburg) St. Peter's Church (Poughkeepsie) St. Sylvia's Church (Tivoli)
Orange County
Putnam County
Rockland County
Sullivan County
Ulster County
Westchester County	Blessed Sacrament Church (New Rochelle) Church of the Holy Family (New Rochelle) Church of the Resurrection (Rye) Church of St. Augustine (Larchmont) Church of St. Joseph (Bronxville) Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Scarsdale) Immaculate Conception Church (Tuckahoe) Immaculate Conception St. Mary's (Yonkers) Most Holy Trinity Church (Mamaroneck) Our Lady of Mercy Church (Port Chester) St. Gabriel's Church (New Rochelle) St. Vito's Church (Mamaroneck) St. Vito-Most Holy Trinity Parish (Mamaroneck)

v t e Education in the Archdiocese of New York
Archdiocese	Seminaries Saint Joseph's Seminary Charities List of Catholic charities in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York Universities and colleges Fordham University Iona University Manhattan College University of Mount Saint Vincent
New York City	Bronx high schools Academy of Mount St. Ursula All Hallows High School Cardinal Hayes High School Cardinal Spellman High School Fordham Preparatory School Monsignor Scanlan High School Mount Saint Michael Academy Preston High School St. Barnabas High School St. Catharine Academy St. Raymond Academy St. Raymond High School for Boys Manhattan high schools Cathedral High School Convent of the Sacred Heart Cristo Rey New York High School Dominican Academy La Salle Academy Loyola School Marymount School of New York Notre Dame School Regis High School St. George Academy St. Jean Baptiste High School St. Vincent Ferrer High School Xavier High School Staten Island high schools Monsignor Farrell High School Moore Catholic High School Notre Dame Academy St. Joseph by the Sea High School St. Joseph Hill Academy St. Peter's Boys High School
Dutchess County	Our Lady of Lourdes High School
Orange County	John S. Burke Catholic High School
Rockland County	Albertus Magnus High School
Westchester County	Iona Preparatory School John F. Kennedy Catholic High School Maria Regina High School Sacred Heart High School Salesian High School School of the Holy Child Archbishop Stepinac High School The Montfort Academy The Ursuline School
Closed	John A. Coleman Catholic High School College of New Rochelle